Beginning Of An Era
by NextTimeI'llBeBraver
Summary: Fourth story in our Lost Chronicles series. After leaving Edoras Arwen, Legolas, and Eowyn travel to Bree in search for Arwen's cousin. By Caitie


3017

Eowyn groaned for what seemed to be the hundreth time as she grumpily followed Arwen and Legolas. They were so, disgusting, was a word they came to Eowyn's mind. Laughing and talking and constantly telling the other they loved eachother. Eowyn wanted to die.

"Oh come now, Eowyn." Legolas said as he turned to face her. "You're not usually this unpleasant to travel with."

"Usually when we travel, Legolas, it's just the two of us." Eowyn stated as she glared at the back of Arwen's head.

"Now you have a female companion that you can talk to as well as me," Legolas said smiling.

"I prefer it be just the two of us," Eowyn replied. Legolas looked back at her. Eowyn shrugged her shoulders and gave him an innocent look. Legolas rolled his eyes and turned back to Arwen.

..::..

The faded sign of the Prancing Pony Inn sway back and forth in the wind as Arwen, Legolas, and Eowyn stood in front of the shabby building. "This is where your cousin lives?" Eowyn asked with a frown on her face.

"He's a Ranger," Arwen stated as she entered the inn. Eowyn and Legolas shared a look then followed Arwen.

As they watited at the counter for the inn keeper they looked around the room. Drunk men sat around wooden tables and laughed obnoxiously. After waiting for a good ten minutes a rather large man approached them. "What can I do for you young travelers?" he asked.

"A room!" Eowyn all but shouted.

Arwen looked dismally at her. "Information," Arwen corrected.

"The room I can help you with. How many beds do we need?"

"Just two," Legolas answered quickly.

Eowyn rolled her eyes. "Two?" Arwen and Legolas nodded. "Alright. And what kind of information are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a Ranger from the north." Arwen stated. "You would know him by the name Strider."

Eowyn's eyes widened and her head shot up. "Strider?" She asked.

Arwen looked over to Eowyn. "Yes, Strider."

"He was here last night," the inn keeper answered. "Sat over there in the corner table with the candle doused." He said as he pointed across the room to an empty table. "Sits there quite often, waiting for something or someone. I would tell him to leave, bad for business, but he gives me the creeps."

Arwen smiled. "That's him."

"Well just wait around here, he should be here by nightfall sitting in that corner."

"Thank you," Legolas said as he took Arwen's hand and walked over to an empty booth to wait.

..::..

"It's been hours, " Eowyn complained. "How much longer do we have to sit here waiting for him?"

Arwen rolled her eyes for the hundredth time. "Until he gets here," she replied spitefully.

"The inn keeper didn't sound very sure that he was going to be back tonight." She stated.

"He said he would probably be back tonight," Legolas answered before Arwen could say anything.

"I'm going up to the room," Eowyn said as she stood and walked away.

A devilish grin crept onto Legolas' face.

"What?" Arwen asked, smiling.

"She's gone," he said.

"And?"

"We're alone."

"Except for the two dozen drunk men." Arwe pointed out

"We haven't been alone in almost a fortnight. Let's go, find some privacy." Legolas stood up from the table and took Arwen's hand. She smiled and followed him through the tavern to the door.

The door swung open almost hitting Legolas who stopped abruptly causing Arwen to run into him. A man with a black cloak and hood came inside. Without so much as a glance at them, the man walked past them and towards the back corner of the room. Legolas started to walk again but Arwen wouldn't budge. "What is it?" Legolas asked.

Arwen turned. "That's him." Arwen started to walk further into the tavern towards the newcomer. "Aragorn," she said as she approached him.

The man looked up. He squinted beneath the hood. "Arwen," he said hesitantly. Arwen leaned forward and pushed his hood away from his face. He stood up and the two embraced. "Look at you!" He exclaimed. "I hardly recognized you, you've grown so much." Arwen smiled shyly. "And Legolas," Aragorn said as he turned to see Arwen's companion. "What are you doing here with my cousin?"

"We're traveling together," Arwen said quickly.

"I heard you were betrothed to his brother, Hadrin." Aragorn stated, coming to a realization. "Arwen?" Arwen sighed. "What did you do?"

"I refused to marry Hadrin."

"And you ran away with his brother," Aragorn said.

"Have you seen your father since you left?" Arwen shook her head. "Oh, Arwen. You haven't changed a bit."

..::..

Aragorn walked through the dimly lit hallways of the inn towards his cousin's room. He knocked twice then entered before waiting for an answer. Instantly he froze in his footsteps. Standing on the other side of the room was Eowyn, her long blonde hair draped over one shoulder and her arms crossed over her chest. She turned towards the door then quickly looked away. Aragorn shook his head then proceeded towards the window, where Arwen sat.

"So, what is your plan, cousin?" Aragorn asked.

"What makes you think I have a plan?" she asked, a smile hiding in her eyes.

Aragorn raised an eyebrow and Legolas laughed.

Eowyn rolled her eyes. "Oh, Eowyn," Legolas said, turning towards her. "You need to lighten up."

Aragorn looked towards her and their eyes met for a split second before she turned walked to sit next to Legolas. "I think I'll be fine," she stated.

Arwen sighed. Aragorn looked at the two women. "I take it, you two don't get along very well."

Legolas laughed. "That would be an understatement, my friend. Since day one, Arwen and Eowyn refused to even try to get along."

"I tried!" Arwen shouted.

"Hardly," Legolas stated.

"It wasn't meant to be," Eowyn said.

"Well you two are going to have to get over that eventually, don't you think, Aragorn."

Eowyn looked up. "Aragorn?" she said.

Aragorn looked at her. "That's my name," Aragorn said.

Eowyn narrowed her eyes.

"Where are your manners, Arwen? You forgot to introduce them?" Legolas asked.

"She never had any," Eowyn mumbled under her breath.

Arwen and Legolas both turned to Eowyn, having heard what she said. "What was that?" Legolas asked.

"Curse you Elves and your hearing," she said.

Legolas smiled. "Eowyn, your charm is startling."

Aragorn smiled. "So, we've changed our subject." Aragorn stated. "What is your plan? You're not just going to stay here in Bree, are you?"

"No, we most certainly are not." Legolas said. Arwen smiled. "Well, we can't go to Edoras, we were just there, Arwen's no longer allowed to enter the region and I don't believe Eowyn is so keen on going there either. We can't go to Rivendell or Mirkwood due to mine and Arwen's situation. So I believe we just plan to travel around."

"Like a Ranger, one might say." Arwen added. There was silence for a while. "You are more than welcome to join us."

"I would but…"

"But what?" Arwen interrupted. "You're too busy protecting Bree from the Orc attacks that never come? You are going to lose yourself here in this town. But if you went with us, then you could have fun and kill Orcs and see sane people. Don't you miss living in the wild?"

Aragorn looked to his cousin as he thought about her proposal. "I suppose since this region isn't in any particular danger…"

"Yes!" Arwen shouted as she wrapped her arms around Aragorn's neck and hugged him tight. "And now, maybe you and Eowyn could get together and she wouldn't be so sour all the time."

Eowyn grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it as hard as she could at Arwen. Arwen gasped as the pillow hit her square in the face.

..::..

Eowyn and Aragorn sat on their horses outside of the Prancing Pony, waiting for Arwen and Legolas to retrieve supplies. "Eowyn…" Aragorn started.

"I thought you said your name was Strider," she interrupted.

"That's what most people call me," he answered.

"But it's not your name," she said spitefully.

Aragorn sighed and began to say something when Legolas and Arwen emerged from the stables. "Sorry we took so long, the inn keeper is quite hard to get a hold of." Arwen said as the four started their way to the gate.

Once they had left the town Aragorn smiled. "I guess you could call this the beginning on an era."


End file.
